By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The lead investigator in the Senzo Meyiwa murder case, Bongani Gininda, denied flouting police processes during the probe into the soccer star’s deadly 2014 shooting.
Five men are being tried for the murder of the Bafana Bafana captain over almost a decade ago.
Gininda wrapped up his testimony on Wednesday in the trial within a trial to determine the admissibility of confession statements made by two of the accused, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya and Bongani Ntanzi.
The court previously heard that Sibiya and Ntanzi confessed to knowing the circumstances of Meyiwa’s murder.
However, both accused claim the confessions were made under duress, alleging that they were beaten and tortured by police into confessing to the crime.
Gininda has now told the court that Sibiya’s rights were read to him, and he ensured he had not been threatened.
“I asked him if he was fine and if he had any complaints, and he said he was fine and that there were no complaints from him.”
Gininda further denied claims that Sibiya’s statement had blood splats, which the defence previously said would be evidence of the alleged torture.
The most startling revelations of the trial-within-a-trial to date, however, have been the evidence of Gininda, whose November 20, 2020, statement detailed how Sibiya and Ntanzi had told police that singer Kelly Khumalo had given instructions to shoot Meyiwa.
He also told the court how Khumalo had failed to disclose four cellphone numbers to the police, which were discovered by cellphone analysts during their investigations.
To make matters worse, he said investigations had additionally revealed that she was linked to the third accused Mthobisi Mncube and the fifth accused Fisokuhle Ntuli through one of the cellphone numbers.
Pretoria Moot police station commander Colonel Karel Swanepoel was called by the State to give insight into two of the accused men’s claims of torture at the hands of members of the police following their arrests during 2020.
The reason for this was due to the allegation by Sibiya, the first accused, and Ntanzi, the second accused, that they were assaulted, tortured and electrocuted by police officers to confess to Meyiwa’s murder.
However, Swanepoel told the court that upon his meeting with the accused on July 3 and 10, 2020, he saw no visible injuries or witnessed any signs of distress.
He explained to presiding judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng that police stations did not have solitary confinement cells, and that at least two officers regularly visited the cells to check on the state of arrested persons.
In instances where urgent medical attention was required he detailed how procedurally, officers were expected to either call the ambulance or alternatively send a person to be checked by a medical practitioner.
Swanepoel further told the court that officers who visited the police cells hourly were expected to check the complex, inquire with detainees about any complaints or injuries, following which the information was logged into the SAPS occurrence book.
State Prosecutor George Baloyi said they plan to call a dentist who examined accused number two, Ntanzi following his arrest in June 2020.
“There’s only one witness that will be testifying tomorrow and it’s a dentist. We have already made arrangements with him for tomorrow my lord and that will be the last witness for the state in a trial-within-a-trial. We then request that we adjourn until tomorrow.”